Packing Punches

Intense.

That is undoubtedly the best word to sum up my Israel experience so far, and best way to describe the country itself. This is one majorly intense place, no matter which way you slice it. It's a beautiful, richly diverse place with so much to offer. It's a great place to take a vacation, to explore your roots, and to pray amongst many different peoples. But it is also extremely, unavoidably intense to be here, and experiencing life the way Israelis do is also equally as intense.

On Friday morning Adam and I took a trip to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum. I visited there with my family in 1997, and since then the place has been totally redone. The new museum is unbelievably well-designed. It's a concrete triangle carved into a hill. You enter the building and have to follow a trail that tells the story of the Holocaust. Beginning with early antisemitism in Europe at the start of the 20th century, it takes you all the way through the war, the liberation, and its aftermath.

Whoever designed the new Yad Vashem did an excellent job. It was powerful, poignant, and very moving. The artifacts and testimonials from survivors, and the depth of information they covered, were all incredibly moving. You exit the Museum through huge glass doors that open onto an expansive vista of the hills of Jerusalem. It was a powerful, hard-hitting message that the land of Israel is, and will always be, a refuge for persecuted Jews around the world.

Outside the main building are other memorials. The most intense, by far, is the Children's Memorial. It's essentially a pitch black room with dozens of mirrors. At the center of the room is one candle, and that candle is multiplied by thousands to represent the children who died. As you're walking through the room, the names of children are spoken through the speakers. That room really packed a punch. An intense punch.

Our museum visit gave me my first feeling of "whoa" since we got here almost two weeks ago. Yad Vashem was very much connected with the idea that the Holocaust paved the way for the creation of the state of Israel. It was hard not to feel emotional listening to those stories and seeing those horrific pictures. But it was also very, very intense to think of the political and social implications of WWII and its aftermath, and how I am here in this program because of everything that happened. Again, intense.

That evening was another intense experience, but in a different way. It was the first official gathering of all our classmates in the President's Residence at HUC. David Ellenson, HUC's president, (aka head honcho) welcomed us to our new home, to the start of our journey, and spoke at length about what a blessing it was. There were head honchos from the Board of Trustees and the URJ there, too. They all made speeches and gave introductions. There were snacks and drinks and laughs and tears. And honestly, I ate it all up.

It felt so incredible to be in that room, listening to the words of people who have a) gone through this program before us, b) went after this education for the same general reason all of us did, and c) whole-heartedly supported us and our decision to enter this field. There was a whole lot of love in that room, and it felt good.

It also felt good to realize that I am one hundred percent in the right program. This was all meant to be, even if I didn't see it in February of 2007, even with my doubts about my capacity for study, even with my anxieties and fears over what I am getting myself into. It was such a strong affirmation of everything I've committed myself to over the past decade. And it felt really, really good.

After the gathering we joined our SOs (Significant Others) for a beautiful outdoor Shabbat evening service led by Cantor Havilio, the director of the Cantorial Studies program. They did it on a lawn that faces the Old City. To watch the sun go down over Old Jerusalem while singing the prayers of my people was so spiritually awakening. It felt powerful, intense, beautiful, lovely, and it felt like home. I got tears in my eyes at several points during the evening, and was ever so grateful that my wonderful partner Adam was there holding my hand.

The sun setting over the Old City:


The intense Friday was followed by a blissfully mellow Shabbat. That Shabbat was fillied with delicious food, great conversation, and the hospitality of our fellow classmates. I must say, my future colleagues are really good people! And talented cooks! Many have already hosted get-togethers at their homes, all of these chances to get to know one each other better and bond through the glorious equalizer that is food.

At the end of Shabbat, we headed out to Ben Yehuda for some drinks and dancing. Adam and I got funky on the dance floor, surrounded by American teenagers. Here's proof:



From the land of Israel, I wish you all a beautiful week and many blessings. Missing you all.

-Jaclyn